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The differences between merchandise coordinators and retail sales leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a merchandise coordinator and a retail sales lead. Additionally, a retail sales lead has an average salary of $40,781, which is higher than the $36,658 average annual salary of a merchandise coordinator.
The top three skills for a merchandise coordinator include cleanliness, sales floor and merchandise presentation. The most important skills for a retail sales lead are math, sales floor, and retail sales.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Retail Sales Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $36,658 | $40,781 |
| Hourly rate | $17.62 | $19.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | - |
| Number of jobs | 23,637 | 442,994 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A merchandise coordinator is responsible for monitoring the adequacy of supply inventory, creating purchase requests, and confirming the proper labeling of products. Merchandise coordinators assist with the creative arrangement of product displays, moving merchandise to the appropriate store section, informing the customers of the promotional products and discount offers, responding to the customers' inquiries and concerns, evaluating feature products' sales reports, and resolving customer complaints. A merchandise coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, following store procedures and safety regulations at all times during the operational shift.
Retail sales leads are responsible for the recruitment and training of new sales team members, assisting the management in selling products, and creating sales reports. Some duties and responsibilities of a retail sales lead include customer services such as answering inquiries and complaints, providing assistance and product information, suggesting items and opinions. Such experiences are an advantage for them to be promoted if they perform their tasks effectively and efficiently.
Merchandise coordinators and retail sales leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Merchandise Coordinator | Retail Sales Lead | |
| Average salary | $36,658 | $40,781 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $27,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | North Kingstown, RI | Bellevue, NE |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | New Era Cap | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Media | Professional |
There are a few differences between a merchandise coordinator and a retail sales lead in terms of educational background:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Retail Sales Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY College of Technology at Delhi |
Here are the differences between merchandise coordinators' and retail sales leads' demographics:
| Merchandise Coordinator | Retail Sales Lead | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 27.6% Female, 72.4% | Male, 46.4% Female, 53.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |